The present invention relates to a solid-state imaging device.
A known solid-state color imaging device comprises a semiconductor substrate and an array of optoelectrical conversion regions formed on one surface of the substrate and covered with an insulating layer. A perforated aluminum layer is provided on the insulating layer to define guideways for light incident on the imaging device to the respective conversion regions. A color filter is provided on the aluminum layer, which is fabricated by depositing alternating layers of color anti-blending material such as high molecular resin and color dyes. Each color component of the filter is produced by depositing a layer of anti-blending material and a dyeing layer thereon, followed by the application of a photoresist onto the dyeing layer. The photoresist is then exposed to actinic radiation through a photomask. However, part of the incident optical energy penetrates these two layers and impinges on the underlying aluminum layer, causing irregular reflection of light. As a result, portions of the color dyeing layer which must remain in the anti-blending material are exposed to the reflecting light, leaving areas where color dyes are nonexistent. During use, white light is undesirably allowed to pass through such areas and directly impinges on the optoelectrical conversion regions, deteriorating the quality of reproduced color images. In the case of a monochromatic imaging device, the light reflecting on the aluminum layer impinges on a monochromatic filter (which is used to shield a part of the imaging area of the device from incident light as a zero level setting) and causes multiple reflections of images between them. This results in flare spots, i.e., fogged or dense area, in a reproduced image.